Makondetsa taken ill, misses Ma Blacks’ shows
Chileka-based reggae outfit, the Black Missionaries on Sunday made another stunning re-union with its Lilongwe fans barely two weeks after the band’s one-hour impressive performance at the Carlsberg Bash in the Capital City.
But this time around, the band had a setback—the absence of crowd favourite Anthony Makondetsa, who was struck by malaria and consequently missed the concert at Lilongwe Golf Club as well as the one at Gymkhana Club in Zomba on Friday.
Nonetheless, Mr Cool’s non-appearance on stage did little harm to ardent fans thanks to the band’s front man Anjiru Fumulani who energetically pioneered the concert despite telling The Nation that he was also troubled with flu.
But the adage that birds of the same feathers flock together proved true at the show when the abrupt appearance of Lilongwe-based reggae artist Sally Nyundo and urban music artist Lulu gave Anjiru a breather and sigh of relief as the two offered some of their best on the stage. That brought even more enchantment among patrons.
Anjiru’s vintage performance alongside his young brother and keyboardist Chizondi in some songs from nine Kuimba compilations even sweetened the mood that night.
A rare and innovative phenomenon occurred on stage at one point when Chizondi dished the late Joseph Hill’s Behold, and that saw dust fused with ‘smoke’ bellowing up the venue even more.
As the show drew to an end, Fumulani paused and invited Lilongwe fans to the forth coming Sand Festival slated for endof this month from August 29 to 31 at Sunbird Livingstonia Beach in Salima.
